Catnip Plants

Nepeta cataria

If your cat was into herb gardening,
Catnip would be on his or her list of 'must have' herb plants.

Catnip is a vigorous, high yielding plant that your kitty will love! Tolerant of drought and less than ideal soil, it produces purplish-white flowers. Catnip loves full sun and the leaves and flowers of this perennial can also be used as a medicinal herb, as a gentle antispasmodic and very mild sedative.

Cats Love Our Healthy Catnip!

Catnip contains an active ingredient called Nepetalactone which affects between 10 and 30% of most cats' olfactory senses giving the cat a psycho-sexual high. Catnip is non toxic and typical behavior may include licking, rolling, drooling and chasing. Reactions to this herb may vary in cats as this is a hereditary behavior and may also have no influence on senior or very young cats. We also grow Lemon Catnip which has an aromatic lemony fragrance!

Also a very potent mosquito and pest repelling herb, Catnip has a variety of wonderful uses from companion planting to even acting as an effective meat tenderizer! The Nepetalactone in Catnip has also been proven by The American
Chemical Society to be ten times more effective than the commercial
chemical, DEET, in repelling mosquitoes. Read Briscoe's Tips for more information on growing and using this wonderful herb plant.

Your Cats Will Flip For Our 'Nip!

Nepeta cataria

Characteristics: If you love cats and watching their antics, we recommend planting catnip in your garden. Your cat will love rolling around in its fragrant foliage. It is a high-yielding, very easy plant to grow.

Light: Catnip enjoys full sun to optimize its growth.

Water: Water when dry to the touch. Catnip likes moist, but not wet, soil.

Soil: Catnip likes well-drained soil, and is very tolerant of less-than-ideal soil quality.

Use: Give your favorite cat a treat he will love! You can dry your Catnip and freeze it in containers to keep it preserved for use all year. If using this wonderful natural repellent for mosquitoes, rub the fresh leaves on your clothing or skin and they'll stay away.

Catnip is a potent natural pest repellent against
mosquitoes, ants, cockroaches, termites, fleas and Japanese beetles, as well as
mice, rats and weevils. The American Chemical Society found Catnip to be ten
times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than the commercial chemical DEET,
which is found in most brand name insect sprays.

As potent at repelling unwanted insects and pests, its
beautiful blooms are a magnet for attracting butterflies and honeybees. Also a beneficial companion plant when planted
near gourds and beets, Catnip is a vigorous grower that will also do well in
containers, or as a border plant, to keep your kitties on the outside of your
garden.

How Does Catnip Work?

Because there really isn't any scent that causes this sort of reaction in humans, catnip is hard for us to understand. However, it is not an uncommon behavior in animals that rely heavily on their noses. For example, there are many scents that will trigger intense hunting behavior in dogs, and other scents will cause dogs to stop in their tracks and roll all over the scent.

Although no one knows exactly what happens in the cat's brain, it is known that the chemical Nepetalactone in catnip triggers the response. Apparently, it somehow kicks off a stereotypical pattern in cats that are sensitive to the chemical. The catnip reaction is inherited, and some cats are totally unaffected by it. Large cats like tigers can be sensitive to it as well.

The reaction to catnip only lasts a few minutes. Then the cat acclimates to it, and it can take an hour or two away from catnip for the cat to "reset." Then, the same reaction can occur again. Very young kittens and older cats seem less likely to have a reaction to catnip.

FeaturesZones: 3 - 9Size: 48"H x 18"SLight: Full to Part SunBloom: White, Mid - Late SummerUses:The
best known of all kitty plants, catnip is easy to grow and tolerant to
drought. Catnip pleasantly stimulates your cat's pheromone receptors,
resulting in temporary euphoria. In addition to pleasing your cats,
catnip can also be used by humans as a mild sedative. It makes a warm, minty tea that is used to induce sleep and said to relieve cold symptoms. Tips: Catnip can be a very invasive plant in the garden. To keep it from overrunning your other plants, try growing it in a container or in a five gallon bucket which can be buried outdoors.

I've never seen catnip with that sized leafs. It is very hardy and came very healthy, I'm very impressed.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

Catnip

April 7, 2015

Reviewer:
Peter Chestnut from Atlanta, GA United States

Plants arrived today. Your packaging is great. Almost zero dirt spilled. Plants look very healthy and should do well. You get a new review later this year when plants have matured. Only suggestion I have for you to improve your service is to enclose a planting cheat sheet with each variety of plant you ship instead of attempting to look it up on your website. This avoids customers having to contact you with simple questions. Thanks again. I'll be back.

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